Water Parameters

[Kamdavid]

Just wanted to share my water parameters and see if anyone has suggestions or ideas ...

pH- 7.0 to 7.2
Ammonia- 0-0.25ppm
Nitrite- 0 ppm
Nitrate- 5-10 ppm

Nitrates- 3/31/20 - 10-20 ppm
4/1/20- 5-10 ppm
4/6/20- 10 ppm
4/7/20- 10-20 ppm
4/9/20- 5-10 ppm
What’s the reason for the variance?

Ammonia- it’s always been at 0.25 ppm ..

Nitrite- has always been 0 ppm

pH- always been 7.0, except today was reading more like 7.2. Can it go up by itself like that ? I did a water change yesterday , but my water from the tap is usually 6.0 ph normally.

 

[Colin_T]

Check the tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Water companies might be adding "stuff" to the water to combat the virus and this might be changing the water chemistry.

If you have plants in the tank, they will use nitrates and lower it.

If you have calcium based rocks, they might cause the pH to go up a bit.

If you have lots of plants in the tank, they can use up all the carbon dioxide (CO2) and the pH can go up. This normally happens after the lights have been on for a while, but you need a lot of plants in the tank.

 

[Kamdavid]

Ok I’ll test my tap water right now.

my parameters aren’t anything to worry about though in the tank right ?

I’ll post my tap results in just a few.

 

[Kamdavid]

Tap water parameters

pH- 7.4 to 7.6 ( so something is lowering it )
Ammonia- 0.50 ppm (higher than the tank)
Nitrite- 0 ppm
Nitrate- 10ppm

the plants in the tank -

1 anubias
5 bunches of hornwort
2 aponogeton

 

[Colin_T]

The ammonia in the tap water is probably from chloramine that is being added to the tap water to kill off microscopic organisms that make us sick. Some water companies are a bit loose with the way they handle chloramine (chlorine and ammonia) and add too much ammonia. This extra ammonia flows through the system and ends up in the tank where it is hopefully eaten by the filter bacteria.

-----------------
The pH in tap water can be artificially high due to the chlorine, or pH buffers the water company adds to the water to stop the pipes rusting.

Tap water is also under pressure in the pipes and dissolved gasses can be forced out and give you a false reading. Get a glass full of tap water and let it sit on the window sill for 24 hours and check the pH as soon as you get the glass of tap water, and again 24 hours later.

-----------------
There's a small amount of nitrate in the tap water and that is not really good for anyone. However, it is at the low end (10ppm) and that is probably as low as your tank nitrates will get, unless the plants start using it, which they might do.

-----------------
You should contact your water company and inform them of the excess ammonia and nitrates in the tap water and see if they are willing to fix it at their end. If they don't, you might want to drink bottled water or get a filter to remove nitrates and ammonia and chloramine from your drinking water.

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, chlorine and chloramine are all harmful to people, animals, birds and fish, so the less you inhale/ ingest, the better it is for your long term health.

 

[Essjay]

Get a glass full of tap water and let it sit on the window sill for 24 hours and check the pH as soon as you get the glass of tap water, and again 24 hours later.

That is the important thing for tap water pH testing, two tests, one straight away, the other 24 hours later.

 

[Byron]

This is with respect to your pH questions.

As Colin and essjay noted, tap water pH can vary so re-test with the 24 hour wait. Also, what is the GH and KH of the tap water (should be able to get this from the water authority, check their website or call them).

A ppH change of 7.0 to 7.2 is insignificant. There is a diurnal pH fluctuation normally especially with plants in the tank, so when checking tank water pH always test at the same time of day each day you test so it will be a more representative result. A lower pH near the start of the day compared to a higher pH near the end of the light period is normal. But testing every day in the early morning will tell you how consistent the pH is long-term.

I asked for the GH and KH because the pH in any aquarium will tend to lower over time as organics increase and are broken down creating CO2 which creates carbonic acid thus lowering the pH. The GH and KH impact this.